The Mac, however, had a program installed on it called "Back to My Mac," which
enables remote operation of the computer. In May 2008, the woman received a call
from a friend, asking if she was operating the computer at the time. The friend
showed the woman's computer as being connected to the internet (probably  via an
on-line chat program). Realizing that the thieves were probably operating her
computer at the time, the woman activated her Mac's webcam remotely via the
"Back to My Mac" program. She attempted to take a photograph of the thief. At
first, all she got was an empty chair. Eventually, however, the thief returned
to the chair in front of the computer, and the woman got a picture of him. She
showed the picture around to her friends, and eventually managed to identify the
thief as Edmon Shahikian, an acquaintance of one of her friends. Shahikian had
attended a party in the woman's apartment some weeks before the robbery. Thanks
to the photograph, the woman eventually
  managed to recover most of the items that were stolen from her apartment.

Now, a high school in Pennsylvania is being accused of spying on its students at
home via a similar program. Harritan High School is part of the Lower Merion
School District in Ardmore, PA (a suburb of Philadelphia). The school issued
laptops to its students which had integrated webcams and a remote activation
program similar to "Back to My Mac." An assistant principal at Harritan High
School recently complained to a sophomore student, Blake Robbins, that he had
been engaging in "inappropriate behavior" with the laptop, which remains the
property of the school. The principal provided a photograph of the student,
taken in his home by remote activation of his laptop's webcam, as proof of the
student's "inappropriate behavior."

Blake Robbins and his parents (Michael and Holly Robbins) are now suing Harritan
High School for the invasion of their privacy. They say the school never
informed them of the remote activation software, or that the school would be
spying on them in their home. The school claims the remote activation program on
the laptops is only ever used to help recover stolen computers. They are not
accusing Blake Robbins of attempting to steal the laptop which was issued to
him, however.

The nature of the mysterious "inappropriate behavior" by Blake Robbins is not
being specified by either party. The Robbins lawsuit states in part, however:

–---------- QUOTE ----------
"As the laptops at issue were routinely used by students and family members
while at home, it is believed and therefore averred that many of the images
captured and intercepted may consist of images of minors and their parents or
friends in compromising or embarrassing positions, including, but not limited
to, various stages or dress or undress."

The school now says it has deactivated the security program on all of the
laptops it has issued to students.